Portage Central marching band: Like a 150-member family

PORTAGE, MI -- In a
building the size of Portage Central High School, it's easy for students to
feel lost.

But it's not a problem for the members of the Portage Central
Marching Band.

"If you're in band, it's 150 people you know in the
hallway," said Nikki Hueng, a senior in the band. "We sit together at
lunch. We hang out together after school."

When he started Portage Central as a freshman, Jacob Hemingway
said, it was "like going to a foreign planet."

But through band, said Hemingway, now a senior, "you get
all these friends, and you also know juniors and seniors who you can ask
whatever you need to know."

In a school known for its stellar programs, marching band still
stands out -- for its size, its dedication to excellence and the tight bonds
between the students and the staff.

That family feeling begins at the top -- the band is headed by
Patrick Flynn, who has been at Portage Central for 30 years, and his wife, Renee, who
joined the district 18 years ago.

The two have been married for 10 years, and have made the
Portage Central music program their life. "We live it and breathe it every
day," Patrick Flynn said.

"We feel like we're their children," Hemingway said
about the Flynns, who don't have children of their own. "It's like 150
people in one, big happy family."

"I feel like I have a second set of parents," said Mary Russell,
a senior in the band.

Central Principal Eric Alburtus praised the Flynns for "building a program all about relationships with kids. They've been incredible."

Patrick Flynn said the program tries to strike a balance between
providing a fun environment, while pushing students to perform at a high level.

"One of the hardest things in Portage is that we have kids
who can do whatever they want -- travel team this, travel that, KAMSC,
IB," Flynn said. "We have to make band appealing," which
includes trying to accommodate students' schedules.

"They're really good about that," said Jessica
Dornoff, a senior in the band. "I've come to band events in my soccer
uniform."

Still, the Flynns pride themselves on pushing their
students. "I never want someone to say, 'The band isn't as good as it was last
year,' " Patrick Flynn said.

At a recent three-hour practice, Renee Flynn crisply ran
students through their marching routine in 90-degree heat, calling out
cryptic commands through a bullhorn: "Sixteen
counts. This is L5. Check and mark it off. This is set 19."

"It's like a whole other language," Dornoff said.

"But you catch on very, very quickly," Russell said. "We
practice 12 hours a day during band camp, and you do it so many times it
becomes muscle memory."

The hard work is part of the appeal, students say, adding it's a
good way to learn discipline and teamwork. Plus, "it's a great feeling to work hard and then have the opportunity to show off the results of that hard work," Hueng said.

Just as rewarding as the performances, she said, are the social aspects of band.

"I've got so many friendships in band, I've gotten to know so many people," Hueng said. "It's a huge part of my high
school life."

Julie Mack covers K-12 education and writes a column for MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. Email her at jmack1@mlive.com, call her at 269-350-0277 or follow her on Twitterat kzjuliemack.